Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfAnalysis
The pilot reported that he was practicing short-field, touch-and-go landings on the private grass airstrip. The final leg of the approach was over a cornfield and a road perpendicular to the approach end of the airstrip.During final, the main landing gear (MLG) struck corn stalks that were about 6-ft tall. The airplane then landed short and struck the road. The right MLG collapsed, and the airplane slid across the road and onto the grass airstrip. The airplane's nose dug into the grass and dirt, and the airplane nosed over.The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut and the rudder.The pilot reported that "this accident was pilot error" and that he believed that he became "fixated on the beginning of the grass and was oblivious to the height of the corn."The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Probable Cause and FindingsThe National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:The pilot's loss of situational awareness during the approach over a corn field, which resulted in collision with corn stalks. FindingsPersonnel issuesSituational awareness - Pilot (Cause)Environmental issuesObject/animal/substance - Effect on equipment (Cause)Soft surface - Contributed to outcome

Location: Breckenridge, MIAccident Number: GAA17CA416Date & Time: 07/18/2017, 1820 EDTRegistration: N9807DAircraft: PIPER PA 22Aircraft Damage: SubstantialDefining Event: Landing gear collapseInjuries: 1 NoneFlight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal The pilot reported that he was practicing short-field, touch and go landings on the private grass airstrip. The final leg of the approach was over a cornfield and a road perpendicular to the approach end of the airstrip.During final, the main landing gear struck corn stalks that were about 6-feet tall, the airplane landed short and struck the road. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid across the road and onto the grass airstrip. The nose of the airplane dug into the grass and dirt, and the airplane nosed over.The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut and the rudder.The pilot reported that, "This accident was pilot error" and that, "I believe that I fixated on the beginning of the grass and was oblivious to the height of the corn."The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

MIDLAND COUNTY, MI (WNEM) - A Mid-Michigan man is okay after his plane crash-landed and flipped over on a grass landing strip.It happened on July 18 at around 6 p.m. on the landing strip just to the west of South Castor Road and south of Redstone Road in Midland County’s Jasper Township.Investigators report that Ronald Schultz, 79, from Jasper Township, was alone in his 1959 Piper Pacer single engine plane when he started coming in for a landing.When he was descending the plane’s landing gear struck the top of some corn that was to the east of the landing strip. That caused the plane to lose speed and it pulled the plane towards the ground.The plane’s wheels hit South Castor Road, damaging the landing gear.Once the plane made it to the landing strip, it was almost to a stop when the nose tipped down, hitting the ground, and causing the plane to flip over.The pilot had a cut on his finger and a bump on his head. He was treated at the scene and released.The investigation has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.